Wednesday, 07/26/06
No position secure for TSU offense
By MIKE ORGAN
Staff Writer
It's not how you finish but rather how you start on the Tennessee State University football team.
Just because the Tigers have all 11 offensive players back who finished as starters last season doesn't mean they're still at the top of the depth chart heading into the new season.
"I don't think your players can ever be in a comfort zone; they should all be working for a starting position every week,'' second-year TSU Coach James Webster said, speaking at Tuesday's Ohio Valley Conference Football Media Day, held in Nashville. "Competition is great in anything you do, and I want this team to be competitive, not just against other teams, but competitive within the team.''
The battle to earn a first-team position on offense will be considerably more difficult this season because of an influx of new and talented players.
For instance, Antonio Hefner, originally from Memphis, is a transfer from South Carolina who will challenge senior Richard Hartman for the starting quarterback position, even though Hartman started 10 games last season and passed for 1,293 yards.
"I'm real excited about (Hefner),'' Webster said. "The great thing is that we have him for three years, and he's a leader. He's a leader by doing. He doesn't just talk it, but he's a leader by doing. We've had him for a semester, and he's done a great job since he's been here.''
If Hefner wins the first-team assignment, he could be throwing to another first-year TSU player in Mike Mason, a receiver who transferred from North Carolina, where Webster was on the staff before coming to TSU. Mason played in 35 games for the Tar Heels and finished as one of the team's top four receivers in each of his three seasons.
"Mason gives us speed,'' Webster said. "We needed some speed, and we needed some big-play guys, and he brings that to the table for us.''
Even running back Javarris Williams, a sensation last year as the OVC Freshman of the Year in 2005 who set a school record for a freshman with 872 rushing yards, faces a challenge for playing time. The Tigers have another freshman hoping to make a splash this season in Terrance Wright, who is one of the fastest players on the team.
Better than that: TSU was picked Tuesday to finish tied for seventh with Tennessee Tech in the nine-team OVC, according to a vote of the league's coaches and sports information directors at Media Day, which took place at LP Field.
Eastern Kentucky was first, Eastern Illinois second and Jacksonville State third.
TSU only had one player named to the Preseason All-OVC team in cornerback Aaron Strong.
Such low expectations don't particularly bother Webster, but he believes his team will be better than forecasted.
"In all honesty, I expect us to be a lot better,'' Webster said. "I really do. I think we're going to surprise some people.
"This league has gotten better and this league has gotten tougher, but I think we're better than that because we're better overall and better at every position. I'm not sure about linebacker because we lost some really good players at linebacker. That's the only place I'm questioning right now.''
Helping hand: Austin Peay Coach Carroll McCray is looking for all the help he can find as the Governors make the transition back into Division I-AA and the OVC. The Governors will play several OVC teams this year and then play a full OVC schedule beginning in 2007.
APSU opens the season at home Sept. 2 against Southeast Missouri, not long after the Titans leave the Clarksville campus, where they begin preseason camp Friday.
"They've been talking about all the things they will do for us while they're here,'' McCray said. "Maybe they'll leave us a player or two, and it'll help us against Southeast Missouri.''
Getting a grip: Tennessee Tech acting head coach Doug Malone said his players have come to grips with the loss of head coach Mike Hennigan.
Hennigan stepped down for health reasons earlier this month. Malone, the team's offensive coordinator who spent five seasons as the head coach at Wingate University, was named acting head coach on July 14.
"The players' first concern, like all of us, was for Coach's' health. I mean, really, the bottom line is that he's okay,'' Malone said. "And then I think as it wore on they're excited about the season and looking forward to it.''
Malone said he wouldn't make many changes on either side of the ball.
New faces: Malone is one of the four new head coaches who will make their debuts in the OVC this season. The others include Jason Simpson, the former offensive coordinator at UT-Chattanooga, who will take over at UT-Martin; Matt Griffin, who left UT-Martin to take the top job at Murray State; and former New Mexico State head coach Tony Samuel, who is now at Southeast Missouri.
No position secure for TSU offense
By MIKE ORGAN
Staff Writer
It's not how you finish but rather how you start on the Tennessee State University football team.
Just because the Tigers have all 11 offensive players back who finished as starters last season doesn't mean they're still at the top of the depth chart heading into the new season.
"I don't think your players can ever be in a comfort zone; they should all be working for a starting position every week,'' second-year TSU Coach James Webster said, speaking at Tuesday's Ohio Valley Conference Football Media Day, held in Nashville. "Competition is great in anything you do, and I want this team to be competitive, not just against other teams, but competitive within the team.''
The battle to earn a first-team position on offense will be considerably more difficult this season because of an influx of new and talented players.
For instance, Antonio Hefner, originally from Memphis, is a transfer from South Carolina who will challenge senior Richard Hartman for the starting quarterback position, even though Hartman started 10 games last season and passed for 1,293 yards.
"I'm real excited about (Hefner),'' Webster said. "The great thing is that we have him for three years, and he's a leader. He's a leader by doing. He doesn't just talk it, but he's a leader by doing. We've had him for a semester, and he's done a great job since he's been here.''
If Hefner wins the first-team assignment, he could be throwing to another first-year TSU player in Mike Mason, a receiver who transferred from North Carolina, where Webster was on the staff before coming to TSU. Mason played in 35 games for the Tar Heels and finished as one of the team's top four receivers in each of his three seasons.
"Mason gives us speed,'' Webster said. "We needed some speed, and we needed some big-play guys, and he brings that to the table for us.''
Even running back Javarris Williams, a sensation last year as the OVC Freshman of the Year in 2005 who set a school record for a freshman with 872 rushing yards, faces a challenge for playing time. The Tigers have another freshman hoping to make a splash this season in Terrance Wright, who is one of the fastest players on the team.
Better than that: TSU was picked Tuesday to finish tied for seventh with Tennessee Tech in the nine-team OVC, according to a vote of the league's coaches and sports information directors at Media Day, which took place at LP Field.
Eastern Kentucky was first, Eastern Illinois second and Jacksonville State third.
TSU only had one player named to the Preseason All-OVC team in cornerback Aaron Strong.
Such low expectations don't particularly bother Webster, but he believes his team will be better than forecasted.
"In all honesty, I expect us to be a lot better,'' Webster said. "I really do. I think we're going to surprise some people.
"This league has gotten better and this league has gotten tougher, but I think we're better than that because we're better overall and better at every position. I'm not sure about linebacker because we lost some really good players at linebacker. That's the only place I'm questioning right now.''
Helping hand: Austin Peay Coach Carroll McCray is looking for all the help he can find as the Governors make the transition back into Division I-AA and the OVC. The Governors will play several OVC teams this year and then play a full OVC schedule beginning in 2007.
APSU opens the season at home Sept. 2 against Southeast Missouri, not long after the Titans leave the Clarksville campus, where they begin preseason camp Friday.
"They've been talking about all the things they will do for us while they're here,'' McCray said. "Maybe they'll leave us a player or two, and it'll help us against Southeast Missouri.''
Getting a grip: Tennessee Tech acting head coach Doug Malone said his players have come to grips with the loss of head coach Mike Hennigan.
Hennigan stepped down for health reasons earlier this month. Malone, the team's offensive coordinator who spent five seasons as the head coach at Wingate University, was named acting head coach on July 14.
"The players' first concern, like all of us, was for Coach's' health. I mean, really, the bottom line is that he's okay,'' Malone said. "And then I think as it wore on they're excited about the season and looking forward to it.''
Malone said he wouldn't make many changes on either side of the ball.
New faces: Malone is one of the four new head coaches who will make their debuts in the OVC this season. The others include Jason Simpson, the former offensive coordinator at UT-Chattanooga, who will take over at UT-Martin; Matt Griffin, who left UT-Martin to take the top job at Murray State; and former New Mexico State head coach Tony Samuel, who is now at Southeast Missouri.
